Hespeler Baptist Church

Scope:

logo visual identity animation brand guidelines

Make, Mark, Mature.

Hespeler Baptist Church (HBC) was a 137 year-old church in Ontario who needed a way to visually reflect their maturity and vibrancy. Everyone who visited recognized there was something special about this congregation, but their logo and overall branding didn't show it outwardly. Through careful planning and a patient process, I brought that unique history and culture into their visual brand.

A Vibrant Church Stuck Being Average

Like many leaders who find themselves in the weeds of design, the associate pastor had some marketing chops and could find his way around Adobe software, but he didn't have the time or specialized expertise to build a brand that would last.

He knew that without a professional touch, the church risked being perceived as just another run-of-the-mill stagnant church, rather than the vibrant community it actually is.

Aligning Visuals with Discipleship

Our goal was to create a historic-modern aesthetic that signaled spiritual life while honoring the church’s deep roots. We prioritized a personal interaction style and centered the entire brand on their 3 M's: Make, Mark, & Mature.

A Rooted Church Brand

In the final stages of the project, I created a visual system that empowered their communications team with more than just a logo.

Color Palette: We pulled deep greens and warm wood tones directly from the church’s sanctuary to ensure the brand felt like a natural extension of their physical space.
Photography: We incorporated beautiful photos shot by a media-savvy church member to bring warmth and human-ness into the brand guidelines and assets.
Textures: We used their unique color palette to generate a small library of easy-to-use gradient textures that would enhance flat designs.
The "Branded House": We moved them away from a "house of brands" by creating a unified suite of brand family marks for each of the church’s ministries.

Kingdom-First Brand Clarity

The rebrand shifted HBC away from "cobbled together" transitional graphics toward a professional visual system that the team can actually maintain. By taking the design burden off the pastoral staff, they can now focus on ministry.

Our team loved working with Braden. His understanding of our unique church culture was tremendously helpful. This was by far the best experience I’ve had on a rebranding project with anyone.

This was by far the best experience I’ve had working on a rebranding project. Braden is not only a fantastic designer, his understanding of our unique culture of our church was tremendously helpful. Our team loved working with Braden — quick to respond and efficient.

He was so patient with us rebranding our 137 year-old church. I highly recommend reaching out to Braden — you won’t be disappointed. This is someone that will be able to understand your church and build a brand that fits your needs and represents who you are.